Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-26

DECEMBER 26, 1851.
under but one disadvantage, and that
her proximity to Omaha. During the
past year she has added nearly ono
million dollars to her public improve
ments and her private improvements
have beeen made upon an equally mag
nificent scale.
Ranking third in the list of the Me-
braska's principal cities comes Hastings,
the Queen. Hastings is the only city in
Nebraska that is in position to contest
with Lincoln, the honor of holding
second rank. This city is destined to
become the Indianapolis Of the west.
Its railroad system is the best enjoyed
in any city in the state and it is but in
the infancy of its development. Hast
ings now has the Burlington, Union
Pacific, Northwestern and Missouri
Pacific systems and inside of two years
will have the Rock Island and the Santa
Fe system, besides several branch lines
in different directions. The Wholesale
trade of Hastings, inaugurated during
the past year, has already reached flat
tering proportions. The amount of
money expended for improvements OF
public and private nature is exceeded
by no city in the state but Omaha.
After Hastings comes Grand Island,
Nebraska City and Beatrice. 1t is
difficult to tell which of these three
cities is entitled to the distinction of
being the fourth city. Hastings is in
clined to award the honor to her enter
prsing neighbor on the north, Grand
Island; but Nebraska City and Beatrice
make favorable showing, and it will
not be until after the. next official GEN.
hat N1,D ,,,t11 Ena 1Nn1 do
termined. All three are growing,
bustling, busy cities, and all three have
"a population of at least ten thousand.
After these comes Kearney, Red
Cloud. Minden, Holdrege, Fremont,
McCooll, North Platte. Fairbury. York,
Seward, Plattsmouth, and perhaps
half score of others, all of which are
destined to become bright stars in
Nebraska's armament of cities.
The Bank Clerks Mad Furniture.
New York Tribune: The bank clerk
reached his boarding house very late.
In fact it was among those very small
hours which produce very large heads.
He had some difficulty in finding the
keyhole, and then occupied fifteen min
utes in trying to unlock the door with
his watch-key. AT length observing
this trifling error. he succeeded in get
ting in and reached his apartment, the
third story back room. Here, however,
he was greatly surprised to find that
everything was in motion. The bed the
table and the chairs seemed swung on n
merrygo-round and revolved with great
rapidity. The bank clerk was in a most
genial mood, and he leaned against the
doorpost to observe this phenomenon.
"Dunno ri care but th' burer," he
soliloquized, "bul mus cash the bed"
Accordingly, depositing his hat and
coat on the floor, he gave chase. Around
went the bank clerk after the flying
| bedstead, and having knocked down the
| towel-rack and smashed the blacking-
brush stand in his efforts to catch his
| frisky furniture, he sat down on the
| remnant of his hat to think up q
| scheme.
"Mos' active bed ever shaw" he re-
marked to himself, as he watched its
devious flight. '.Gesh I better wait
right here" he added, ''and when she
comes around jump on board as she
goes BY"
| This plan seemed SO excellent that
bank clerk prepared to execute it and it
| seemed to him that the bed had reached
the right place he gave great leap and
| landed with q tremendous crash in the
corner against the mantelpiece, bring
ing two photograph frames, a cup and
saucer and Chinese idol down on his
head.
"A profound silence followed for few
moments, and then the door of the
third-stOry front room opened slowly
and the heads of the two maiden ladies
came forth.
Hes been paralyzed," said the elder
maiden lady, anxiOusly, ''and got up to
go to the window for air." The younger
maiden lady was SO agitated that two
curl papers fell off. 'Janet;" she whis-
pered, do go and knock on the door
and inquire"
Doors, however were opening about
the house, and heads came out over the
banister to inquire the meaning Of the
crash. A moment more and there was
a measured tread on the stairs.
Edward, is that your" whispered
down young Mrs. Parsley anxiously
from the fourth floor. 1t was not Ed
ward. 1t was old Mr.. Rottle and as he
hove in sight through the gloom of the
stairs the two maiden ladies gave little
shrieks and disappeared, once more to
appear through the crack of the door,
one head above the other.
| Old Mr.. Rottle wore a lowered dress
ing-gown and worsted slippers and car
ried his spectacles in his hand.
| Are elther OF you ladleS Slck: he
whispered to the two maiden ladies.
They assured him that they were as
usual, but that the bank clerk had been
tricken with paralysis, and they were
shout to aid him.
At this juncture Prof. Nudge, who
occupied the third story front hall bed
room, hastily opened the door. and pro.
truding night-capped and spectacled
head. inquired in mutfled tones that be-
trayed an absence of teeth, whether the
house was on fire.
Mr.. Rottle did not delay. He knoched
on the bank clerks door and entered
That worthy was just falling asleep in
the corner with his head in the waste
basket, as his visitor appeared.
''G' evenin', old boy, he remarked
stupidity. ''Glad (hic)t t see YER"
''Mr. Wlgstraw," said old Mr.. Rottle
putting on his spectacles and looking a
The bank clerk severely, there was ;
tremendous crash in your room not Ions
since that aroused the whole house.
feared you were ill.,"
"Nozzin tall, ole boy" rejoined tho
bank clerk, Jus pullin' off M boots ant